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‘It wasn’t me’

Prime minister distances himself from social media lookalike patron

Published:Friday | July 23, 2021 | 12:05 AMEdmond Campbell/Senior Staff Reporter

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, on Tuesday, borrowed a line from entertainer Shaggy, declaring that ‘it wasn’t me’, in relation to a seeming lookalike patron who appeared in a social media post at a party where few persons were wearing masks.

“I did see some video circulating of a particular party, and just to be clear, I was not a patron. To put it another way, I was not there,” said Holness as he led a chorus of laughter among lawmakers.

“I saw an image being presented and I guess there were some similarities, but it’s not me. I was not there,” the prime minister insisted.

Holness said that while the party was hosted by one of his close associates, he had placed himself under curfew and lockdown “when it comes to these things”.

“As they say in Jamaica, ‘my name easy fi call’ so I wasn’t there.”

The prime minister said it was important that as leaders who are asking people to abide by the rules that “we ourselves abide by the rules”.

He told his colleague legislators that he has been invited to many entertainment events and had “respectfully and courteously” declined.

The prime minister said he had turned down invitations because many would use that as an opportunity to undermine the legitimacy of the Government by saying, “There is a double standard; they are doing something that they are asking us not to do.”

His comments came during a statement to the nation on Tuesday where he provided an update on the management of COVID-19, three weeks after new measures were announced.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com